Page 99 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 10
Rodrigo hesitated for a second and then answered, "Yes."
I nodded and took my finger off the trigger. I knew I would never get a genuine apology out of him, but him admitting that he'd hurt us enough to deserve to be shot in the dick felt almost as good. "Let's go, Giovanna. We have a ticket to cash."
Rodrigo let out a sigh of relief as we zipped up our cat suits and walked towards the door.
If Rodrigo had only wronged me, I probably would have kept walking. But he hadn't. He left death and destruction in his wake wherever he went. Minutes ago, he had caused some poor girl to get gangbanged on stage and almost paid Vitor to carry out a hit on some random girl. If I walked out that door, it would only bea matter of time before some other girl took my place under his iron backhand. And I couldn't allow that to happen.
Before opening the door, I turned around, aimed the pistol, and redecorated the backboard of the bed with Rodrigo's brain. I was finally free.
Going For Gold - Chapter 43
Sunday
Alina
After I received my scores, the stage crew quickly set up the three-tiered medal podium while the girls who placed fourth and fifth were escorted off stage. A few guys in suits appeared on stage, as well as three women in traditional Brazilian outfits holding silver platters with the medals and flowers.
"Can I put on some clothes before we start?" I whispered to Owen.
He shook his head. "Sorry, we're already way behind on a tight schedule. The closing ceremonies can't begin until we're done here."
Oh well.I figured it was worth a try, but it really didn't matter that much. What mattered was that I was going to be standing on that gold podium, looking down at Gabriela. I held my towel firmly around myself.
"Ladies and gentlemen," announced Owen Harris. "Tonight, we've witnessed history being made as these women competed in the first ever tiebreaker event of these great games. Without further ado, let me present our medalists."
"Winning bronze, and representing Russia, Irina Alexandrov!"
Irina was greeted with warm applause as she stepped onto the lowest of the three podiums. One of the men in suits stepped forward along with the girl carrying the bronze medal tray.Dramatic music played as he put the medal around her neck and shook her hand. Another one of the suits approached and handed her the flowers on the tray.
Owen let her wave and enjoy the moment before moving on. "Winning silver, and representing Brazil, Gabriela Santos!"
The applause was louder for her, but the look on her face made it clear she didn't care. She was pissed that she didn't win gold. Her frowning face was a million times better than her smug smile.
She received her silver medal and flowers and then it was my turn. It felt like I couldn't breathe.This is really happening.
"And finally, winning gold for the United States of America, Alina Smith!"
I was met with thunderous applause as I waved to the audience and stepped onto the gold medal platform. I had imagined this moment a million times, but never quite like this. In my dreams, I was always fully clothed and surrounded by my volleyball team. But I had done it. I had won an ITA gold medal.
I bent down to allow the old guy in the suit to put the gold medal around my neck.
"Congratulations," he said, shaking my hand.
"Thank you," I said.
Another guy came up to give me flowers.
The suits walked away and the crowd cheered some more. I waved back at them and looked around, soaking in every detail of this moment. The crowd cheering, the American flag above my head, the pissy look on Gabriela's face. It was all perfect.
Except one thing. I thought about the first thing that Bryce had done when he had won his gold. He had run toward me. Would he want me to run toward him? After everything I had just done to win? I looked toward the side of the stage. A few of the backup dancers were standing there with towels around their waists. Their masks were off. But none of them were Bryce. Where was he?
"This is bullshit," Gabriela said, distracting me from my thoughts. "You should be disqualified."
"I would have thought a slut like you would have enjoyed my performance. Or has a guy never asked you to give him head before?" I wasn't even sure where my sudden confidence had come from. Maybe it was the gold medal around my neck. Or maybe it was just the fact that I was finally fed up with her bullshit. No matter what I had just done on stage, Gabriela wasn't better than me. And she never had been. She was a bully and a jerk.
"Fuck you." She looked like she was about to cry.
"Ladies and gentlemen," said Owen. "Please stand for the national anthem of the United States of America."
